Piano-back.



PATENTED JUNE 14, 1904.

G. H. JONES. PIANO BACK.

APPLICATION 2mm mm 18,1903.

H0 MODEL.

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WITNESSES:

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UNITED STATES Patented June 14, 1904.

GEORGE HENRY JONES, OF OREGON, ILLINOIS.

PIANO-BACK.

SPECIFICATION forming part of Letters Patent No. 762,825, dated June 14, 1904.

Application filed June 18, 1903.

To all whom it may concern:

Be it known that I, GEORGE HENRY J ones, a citizen of the United States, and a resident of Oregon, in the county of Ogle and State of Illinois, have invented a new and Improved Piano-Back, of which the following is a full, clear, and exact description.

The invention relates to upright pianos; and its object is to provide a new and improved piano-back which is simple and durable in construction, comparatively light, and arranged to obtain the greatest strength at the point where the greatest strain is exerted by the strings and the metal plate, to increase the volume of tone of the instrument by the elimination of the heavy posts now in use in pianoframes, and to maintain the instrument in proper tune for a considerable length of time.

The invention consists of novel features and parts and combinations of the same, as will be more fully described hereinafter and then pointed out in the claims.

A practical embodiment of the invention is represented in the accompanying drawings, forming a part of this specification, in which similar characters of reference indicate corresponding parts in all the views.

Figure 1 is a front face view of the improvement as applied, the wrest-plank, soundingboard, and plate being removed. Fig. 2 is a perspective view of the improvement; and Fig. 3 is an enlarged transverse section of the same on the line 3 3 of Fig. 2 and showing the wrest-plank, the sounding-board, and metal plate in position.

The improved piano-back is constructed of well-selected timber, and consists, essentially, of a rectangular frame having a top and bottom members A A and side members A A and the said rectangular frame is strengthened by diagonal braces B B, halved in at their junction and reinforced at the junction by a metallic plate G, preferably of cross shape, as plainly indicated in Fig. 2. The braces B B are of a width corresponding to the Width of the top and bottom members A A, while the side members A A are somewhat wider than the braces B B'; but the rear faces of the top and bottom members A A are reinforced by strips A A flush with the cor- Serial No. 162,070. (No model.)

responding faces of the side members A A, as plainly indicated in Figs. 2 and 3. The front face of the rectangular frame carries the usual sounding-board D, over which extends the metal plate E, and above the said soundingboard and metal plate is arranged in the usual manner the wrest-plank F, as shown in Fig. 3. The bracesB and B extend approximately in the direction of the slant of the strings, so that an increase in the tension of the strings tends to increase the rigidity of the frame. Thus by the arrangementdescribed the greatest power of resistance is provided for at the points where the greatest strain is exerted by the metal strings and the metal plate. It will further be seen that by the arrangement described the piano-back is composed of but few parts and is extremely light, and at the same time the tone of the instrument is improved as the capacity of the sounding-bomd to vibrate is increased, especially by the elimination of the heavy posts now used in pianobacks as heretofore constructed, as each post tends to obstruct the proper vibration of the sounding-board. The rigidity of the pianoback tends to keep the instrument in proper tune for a considerable length of time.

Having thus described my invention, I claim as new and desire to secure by Letters Patent 1. A piano-back comprising a rectangular frame, braces in said frame extending from diagonally opposite corners thereof, and crossing each other at the middle of the frame and reinforcing top and bottom strips let into the rear side of the frame flush with the face thereof.

2. Apiano-back comprising a rectangular wooden frame having top and bottom and side members, diagonal braces of equal length ex tending between the opposite corners of said frame, and crossing each other at their centers, said braces being halved into each other and reinforced at their junction, said top and bottom members of the frame and said braces being all of an even thickness and let into each other to cause their front faces to occupy a common plane, the side members of said frame being thicker than the aforesaid members but having their front faces also disposed in the same plane with the other members, said side members having their top and bottom ends recessed on their rear sides, the rear faces of 'said recessed ends being flush with the rear faces of the top and bottom members of the rectangular frame and with the rear faces of the braces, and top and bottom reinforcing-strips received into said recesses with their inner faces in engagement With the braces and with the top and bottom IO members of the frame and their outer faces flush with the rear sides of the side members of the frame.

In testimony whereof I have signed my name to this specification in the presence of two subscribing witnesses.

GEORGE HENRY JONES.

Witnesses:

E. B. J ONES, S. F. SALISBURY. 

